1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a communication device and a remote management system. More particularly, this invention relates to a communication device which performs automatic collection of configuration/management information needed for remote management of customer devices connected to a network segment and transmits the collected information to a central management device via a communication line. Also, this invention relates to a remote management system in which a central management device receives configuration/management information of customer devices of a network segment from a communication device and performs central management of the customer devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in office automation (OA) devices, such as facsimile, copiers, printers and multi-function peripherals, it is desired to facilitate the maintenance of the devices and the maintenance and management of the consumable articles. For this purpose, there is provided a remote management system in which a communication device (such as a communication adapter) connected to the OA devices of the customer site and a central management device (such as in a service center of the device manufacturer) are connected by a cable or radio communication line. In the remote management system, the central management device collects various items of management information, such as maintenance management information, working state and failure information of the OA devices, through the communication device, and stores and analyzes the collected management information, so that various management processes, such as device maintenance management, failure correction management and consumable article management, are carried out. For example, see Japanese Patent No. 3493297.
In the conventional remote management system, a communication device is provided for every device, and the communication between the communication device and the central management device for the device management is performed individually for every device. In recent years, with the spread of network technology, an increasing number of the devices as objects of remote management are connected to a communication network so that the connection between the devices and the central management device is established via the network.
For this reason, there is proposed a remote management system in which the devices of the customer site connected to a communication network and a management terminal are connected via the network. A managing server of the service center is connected to the management terminal by a cable or radio communication line, and the managing server acquires the management information of the devices as objects of remote management which is collected by and stored in the management terminal, so that the managing server carries out remote management of the devices. For example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-221696.
In the conventional remote management system of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-221696, the managing server acquires the management information of the devices connected to the network which is collected by the management terminal connected to the network, and the managing server carries out remote management of the devices. However, if the configuration of the devices of the customer site connected to the network is changed, the managing server is unable to recognize the configuration change until the change is notified to the managing server by the administrator on the side of the devices etc. and registered into the managing server. Thus, there has been the necessity for improvement of the conventional remote management system, in order to perform the remote management of the devices appropriately.
Moreover, when a plurality of devices (such as printer, copier, facsimile, multi-function peripheral, etc.) connected to a large-scale network (such as a company network) are the objects of remote management, the network concerned may include a plurality of network segments and the devices as objects of remote management may be connected to each network segment.
In such network configuration, a network administrator in the company performs the management of network resources, while a device administrator, such as personnel in charge of general-affairs in the company, performs the stock management of the consumable articles of the respective devices.
However, for example, when one or more new devices are installed in the network and connected to one or more network segments so that the configuration of the devices on the network is changed, the managing server in the conventional remote management system is unable to recognize the configuration change. Unless the information of the configuration change in the company is transmitted to both the network administrator and/or the device administrator, it is difficult to perform the device management appropriately, without such information sent to the network administrator and/or the device administrator and there has been the necessity for improvement.